Exclusion from playoffs baffles Clairemont boys soccer team

Clairemont High assistant coach Scott Bello didn't know how to explain it to his boys soccer team.

He stood in front of the players but couldn't find the words to tell them they didn't make the San Diego Section playoffs.

The Chieftains were confident a second-place finish in the Central League would be enough to earn a spot in the Division III bracket.

Instead, Clairemont received news that league-rival Coronado had received the No. 3 seed when the playoff pairings were released Saturday. The Islanders host Mission Bay tonight in a quarterfinal match.

“That was a surprise,” said Bello, who has coached at Clairemont alongside head coach John Beaubien for 20 years. “I thought we'd at least get in with our league record.”

Hoover (11-4-6, 7-1-4), whose larger enrollment puts the Cardinals in Division II for the playoffs, was Central League champ. Next came Clairemont at 8-10-3 overall and 7-2-3 in league. Coronado (13-4-5, 6-3-3) placed third. The Chieftains beat the Islanders twice.

“I guess they based it on the overall record,” Bello said.

Bello was referring to the committee that selects and seeds the playoff teams. Commissioner Dennis Ackerman heads the committee, which is made up mostly of former coaches and receives input from league representatives.

The selection process has been in place about three years. Coaches are not allowed to attend the committee's selection meeting.

“I have no idea what they were looking at,” Bello said. “What they're saying is league records don't matter, head-to-head (results) don't matter. In that case we can schedule softer teams. We try to stack our schedule to help us in the long run.”

Coronado coach Brian Hiatt-Aleu said he was surprised Clairemont was not given a playoff slot but feels his team earned the No. 3 seed.

“Sure, they beat us twice,” Hiatt-Aleu said. “But who else did you beat? I don't see how you can seed (Clairemont) higher than us.”

Bello and Hiatt-Aleu said the selection process could be improved and should have clear criteria.

Clairemont Athletic Director Gerry Knuppel said he sent an email to Ackerman requesting a list of criteria.

Knuppel said Ackerman wrote back saying the selection committee reviews a series of items in no particular order that includes team strength at the end of the season, strength of schedule, results against common opponents, head-to-head results and league and overall records.

“We're better in all points except the overall record,” said Knuppel, who has previously served on a seeding committee. “If one of two teams was to get in, it should have been Clairemont.”

Knuppel and Bello said they aren't blaming Coronado for the result of “a faulty selection system.”